Malaga CF 0-1 Atlético Madrid: Player Ratings

Jan Oblak (8.5): Let us never take Jan Oblak for granted, as he continues to be absolutely vital to any success Atlético Madrid will have this season. Oblak was under a bit of pressure in the second half as Atlético were happy for Málaga to have the ball.

Šime Vrsaljko (7.5): On the week of his contract renewal, Vrsaljko again put in a good shift to show Diego Simeone that he was right to trust the Croatian.

José Giménez (8): Josema has really taken a step forward this season, looking like a much more responsible player than he was in his younger days. He uses his size very well to not only win headers but also to block shots and even draw fouls.

Lucas Hernández (8): Probably the better of the two center backs, if mainly because he was more accurate with his passes, but Lucas has always been a better technical player than Joséma. The two young defenders looked quite strong together, but Lucas seems able to shift from left back to center back without much discomfort, which will be useful towards the end of the season.

Filipe Luís (8): A tremendous return for undoubtedly one of Atlético’s best and most important players. Filipe looked sharp on his return from injury, so hopefully now he can have a long run in the team while Simeone’s defensive options are limited. The mattress makers are a different beast with the Brazilian fully fit.

Gabi (7.5): Another very positive shift from the captain, who played 70 minutes before Thomas replaced him. Simeone continues to manage Gabi’s minutes really well.

Saúl (7.5): Overall a mixed game from Saúl. It was his pass that eventually found Antoine Griezmann for the opener, but he struggled at times to get things going. Being booked early also limited him in how active he could be defensively. Gabi is a better partner for Saúl than Koke, but Simeone has yet to find the formula for success in central midfield.

Koke (7): On his 350^th Atleti appearance, Koke did well in a fairly free role, often floating from one wing to another as well as operating through the middle, trying to get in between the lines. Still, Koke isn’t at peak form, even as los rojiblancos continue to win.

Vitolo (6): Vitolo completed 88 percent of his passes in 51 minutes, but his persistent fouling kept him on the margins of play.

Diego Costa (6): The first half was largely quiet for the big striker, who did have one shot but did not get the best service. What Costa will always offer, even if out of the attacking phase somewhat, is fouls high up the pitch. Diego is an expert at winning free kicks in advantageous positions for Atlético. That said, he had no help Saturday and Fernando Torres replaced him with 10 minutes left.

Antoine Griezmann (8.5): Griezmann’s first important touch was a goal as Saúl’s effort deflected into the Frenchman’s path and he finished emphatically beyond Roberto. It was a fortunate passage of play, but Griezmann did very well to be onside and react quickly enough to score.

Subs:

Ángel Correa (6.5): Did not do a lot after coming on, struggling similarly to Vitolo. But Simeone seems far more willing to trust Correa now than he has in the past, and has resulted in Correa playing far more than he ever has before.

Thomas Partey (7): Solid after coming on for Gabi, did not set the world on fire but was diligent in his role.

Fernando Torres (6): Came on, ran around a bit as he usually does. Atlético had virtually no interest in attacking so there was not a lot Torres could do in his ten-minute cameo. Torres was involved in a purely accidental head-to-head collision with Mehdi Lacen that left the latter in a bad way; he had to be taken off on a stretcher.